Ford Focus Engine Problems

I would guess that the dealer has tried a quick fix that hasn't worked rather than actually attacking the cause of the leak, which probably requires him to dig deeper into the car to identify and repair it. Take the car back and request that he make another attempt to fix it.

Yours is not the first complaint on this subject, so it seems many modern batteries are now being built to a price.

The car is going into 'limp home' mode, which suggests there is something amiss with the electronics of the engine management system, possibly the ECU or a sensor supplying it with information. It needs to be sorted out by the dealer; it's not good enough to tell you to keep bringing it back when it happens. By doing that they're hoping to eventually stumble on the cause of the problem rather than investigate the cause and find a solution. If you can't get any sense out of the dealer go directly to Ford's customer assistance service on 13 3673.

If you have a non-turbo Focus model I'd suggest looking to trade it in on a turbocharged ST or RS model Focus. These models can be easily upgraded to be made much faster, however before you modify your car you should talk to an engineering signatory in your local state to ascertain if the modifications are legal.

It's probably easier to eliminate those that don't stack up, those being the VW Golf, Holden Cruze and Ford Focus.

All have transmission questions over them.

The best options would be the Mazda 3 and the Hyundai i30.

It sounds very much like fuel vaporization, which suggests the fuel is getting too hot at some point in the system. If you could get someone to fit a fuel pressure gauge to the car you could monitor the pressure and it if's fuel vaporization as I suspect you should see the pressure drop away when the problem occurs. The source of the problem could be in the fuel tank itself, the lines between the tank and the engine, or in the engine bay. Look for any location where the fuel system comes close to a heat source, such as the exhaust system.

Press the grooved buttons on the side of the smart key, then lever the raised centre section on the rear off. Pop the metal key out and, using a metal screwdriver split the key in half by inserting the screwdriver into a slot inside the end of the key. You can then access the battery, prising it out and replacing it.

Ford's claimed economy for the Focus manual is 7.3 L/100 km, which is a blend of city and country driving. The claimed economy in a city driving situation, which sounds like it could be like yours, is 10 L/100 km, while the claimed figure for country driving is 5.6 L/100 km. I would suggest you take it on a long trip and measure the economy in that situation before doing anything else. If it comes close to the 5.6 L/100 km claimed figure you could assume the car is running ok. If it doesn't come close then you assume something isn't quite right and investigate the problem. I would suggest you also give it a good hard run to blow out the carbon that's probably accumulated in the combustion chamber, and see if that helps.

Years ago when you owned your Torana it was considered something of a performance car, as the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are today, but there are many other ways of getting your driving thrills today without having to go for a V8. Some of the hot hatches now available would give you all the thrills, and more, than the big-bangers of old. Take a test drive in a VW Golf GTi or one of the fast Ford Focuses and I'm sure you'd rethink your choice. All the cars you mention, the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are good cars with plenty of grunt, the V8 sound, and the comfort of a big car. For mine though I'd be going for a hot hatch.

The oil change process hasn't really changed much in the last 100 years of internal combustion engines, as you need to drain the old oil out, remove the old oil filter, fit a new filter, refit the drain plug and top up the engine with the correct amount of oil. However, some modern cars (like Fords) have sensors in the oil pump that cause problems if you take longer than 10 minutes to change the oil. For this reason I recommend taking your car to a qualified mechanic to have the oil changed to avoid costly engine repairs.